Steering mechanism.



E. T. & W. E. COX.

, STEERING MECHANISM. APPLICATION man 141111.2111911.

Patented 11111611, 1918.

19268933 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 prima@ srarfas ra'rnrrr onirica.

Ems/Inn a'. oofx, or sairriaaivcisco, nNnwIr-.nram E. cox, oF oAKLAivn,GALIFORNIA.

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Lessines.,

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Be it known that we,VELME1i T; Cox and VILLIAM Cox, citizens of theUnited States, `residing, `in the-cityand `county of San Francisco andatOakland,l in thefccunty of Alameda and .State of California,respectively, have jointly invented anew and use ful Improvement` inSteering Mechanisms, of `which the `following is a specificatiom Ourinvention relates to improvements in steering-,mechanisms forvehiclesand the like" wherein .rearwardly inclined spindles operate 'inconjunction with oppositely inclined spiral` mechanisms tolincline bothwheels toward a the i direction Vin which they are turned .whenAsteering; and the; objects of our invention are`-.`

First, to provide 1an improvedwsteering mechanism adapted to partiallyoffset `the lateral thrust occasioned onthe frontwhcels when steering; ci `z 1 Second, to `provide an improved steering mechanism y adapted to fprovide greater lateral resistance, when steering, to the front orsteering` wheels of a vehicle; Y Y

rlhird, to provide an improveddevice of the character described adapted4toretain a constant level or elevation of thefrontaxle of the vehiclewhile the wheelsare inclined.

We accomplish these several objects by means of the Vdevice disclosed inthe drawings forming a part of the present specification, whereinlikelcharacters oli-.reference are the said specilication and drawings,and in which- Figure l is a front elevation of a vehicle with the wheelsin normal position disclos ing the arrangement of the improved steeringspindles;

Fig. V2 is a similar view disclosing the manner in which the frontWheels are inclined toward the direction in which they are being turnedwhile steering;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a chassis of a vehicle disclosing 'theinclination of the wheels;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detailed side elevation of one of the inclinedsleeves and the spindle mounted therein, the wheel axis being shown insection; and v Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a modied form of ourinvention.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral l is used to designate a frontaxle ofa vehicle "ratentsdaune 11,1918,

i Application field March 21, 1917. Serial No. 156,479.`

upon each end of whichaxle l` isfmounted `a rearwardly inclinedsleeve2`each sleeve having oppositely inclined'spiralslots 3 therein, saidspiral slots being of equal pitch. a llVithin each sleeve 2 is rotatablymounted a spindle 4 having a lateral wheel: axle 6 extendingtherefromand through the -slot 3 within the sleeve 2." Awheel 7 isrotatably mounted upon each axle 6. l i i Each `spindle 4 is 'provided.at the top thereof with a steering` arm 8 and a cross connecting: rod 9is connected to the ends of the steering arms 8 whereby the wheels 7 maybe `turned simultaneously, said connecting rod 9 beingin `turnVoperatively connected to suitable steering gear not shown.

Each wheel axle 6 is provided with a spiral lshaped guard l1 to `preventthe entrance `of dust and other foreign matter .to the spindle 4 throughthe slots 3 as disclosed in Figs. l and 2 of the drawings.

:The operation is as follows: a

.As the spindlesz4 are inclined it, is `evident that the wheel axles 6and wheels `7 will. also beA inclined when said; spindles 4 arepartially rotated and that fthe/ inclif` nation of the `wheels 7 `willrbeitoward vthe direction in which they are qbeingf-turned whensteering. That is, `as;Y the wheel v,axles 6 are arranged laterally orperpendicular to the;` spindles 4 said' wheels would. assume fthe sameangle of inclination as the spindle 4 when said spindle has been turnedthrough used to designate similar parts throughout w anangle of ninetydegrees or a right angle.

This inclination would turn and incline the wheels 7 to resist a forwardmovement of the vehicle and in a direction which would tend to bring theline of resistance more nearly parallel to the plane of the wheel andthereby partially offset the lateral thrust1 on the wheels 7. Should thespindle 4 be turned through one-half a right angle or an angle of 45degrees the direction of the vehicle would be changed and directedtoward the direction in which the wheels 7 were turned.

If the slots 3 were not inclined but merely arranged transversely to thespindle 4 and in the path of the wheel axle 6 it is evident that as thespindle 4 is inclined the center of the wheell 7 would remainapproximately the same distance from the ground and as the axle 6 wasinclined the junction of the axle 6 with the spindleJ 4 would be raisedor lowered and thereby raise or lower that end of the axle 1 dependingon whether the Wheel was turned toward or away from the vehicle. i Butas the slots 8v are inclined or arranged spiral in opposite directionsit is obvious that as the junction of the wheel axles 6 with `thespindles a vtraverse said oppositely inclined spiral "slotslone"junction` will"V be raised and the other lowered an equal amountthereby retaining the axle 1 at a constant level or elevation. v

Irl-Fig'. 5 `of the drawings, which is illustrated` as being'vertical`insteadV .of inclined to simplify the` drawings!7 we have illustrated ainodiiied forni of the invention wherein the inner end of the wheel axle6 is threaded to engage` a spirally threaded spindle '12 secured' withinan inclined yoke 14 formed on each end of the axle 1.

'In thisl fornithe junction of the wheel axle 6 withthe threaded spindle12 is raised or low-ered as the Wheel is turned, the steering' arm notshown1 in this figure', in this case being attached to the rear of theaxle Gas is `sometimes the practice.

It is Yobviousi'rom the foregoing that we have provided a new and'useful improve mentin a steering mechanism whereby the lateral thrust ispartially offset and .a greater lateral resistanceis impartedto` bothwheels when turnedas in steeringl Having thus described our inventionwhat we claim as new and .desire to secure by Letters'Patent is`` i`f 1. Asteering mechanism for vehicles comprising an axle having asleeve oneach end therofga wheel "for each sleeve having itsaxisfpivotallyrmounted "within the sleeve said sleeve being inclinedtoward the rear i of `thevehiclewhereloy ther wheels are in`- clinedtoward the direction in which they are being turned when steering; andmeans for raising the inner end of one wheel axis and lowering the innerend of the other wheel axis simultaneously when said wheels are turnedwhen steering whereby the elevation'olthe axle may be retained.

2. Asteering mechanism for vehicles comprising "an axle having arearwardly inclined sleeve on `each `end thereof; a wheel for eachsleeve having its axis pivotally mounted withinthe sleeve whereby said'wheels may be inclined toward the direction in'which they are beingturned when steering `to olset the thrust occasioned by steering; meansfor raisingthe innerl endy of one wheel axis and for lowering the innerend of the other wheel axis simultaneously when steering; and ymeans forturning both wheels in either direction a proportionateainountsimultaneously. 3. Av steering mechanism comprisin an axle having a"hollow rearwardly `inc ined sleeve on'each end thereof, each `sleevebeing provided with an inclined `spiral slot, the inclination of theslot in one sleeve being opposite to thatolA the slot in the othersleeve and of equal pitch; a spindle rotatably mounted within eachsleeve; a lateralwheel axis secured to each spindle and'extendingthrough the slot lin the sleeve; a wheel rotatably mounted upon eachlateral axis; and means for turning both wheels simultaneously wherebysaid wheels may be inclined toward the direction inwhich they vareturned to partially oilset the" lateral thrust oecasionedvby turning.'

In witness whereof 'we hereunto set our signatures.` i

rr. cox. y winiirAM cox. y

qgnies of this patent may be `obtained mr ve .cents each, by addressingthejcqmmssioner of iratexm,

